Recently I attended a prayer meeting.
Ninety percent of their prayer points were merely about church growth and
members leaving the church. At a point, I stopped praying, left the church
auditorium and decided to take a walk round the church vicinity.
It sounds like
I just gave myself a job that never concerned me. I was pissed by the heavy
curses led by the Man of God on the witches not allowing the church to grow.
Really, I am trying to control myself not mentioning names. At least I am also a
member of a certain denomination with a similar challenge.
Over the years, I have observed a whole lot
and even researched on this issue. Honestly, you will agree with me that
seventy percent of our churches in Nigeria are going through this challenge. At
a point in my life, each time I hear church leaders leading members to pray for
the church growth and increased membership, I usually close my ears. Don’t
judge me! I just get tired of that ‘shit’. Yeah, it can be annoying. And these
church folks can argue the hell out of something.
What exactly makes a one-time vibrant
church start losing its people and suddenly become obsolete? Young people grew
up in a certain church and abruptly realize that they are no longer fit to be
in the same place they were built, nurtured and fed with God’s word. Something
certainly is wrong aside from the spiritual angle to it. I am not disputing the
fact that there are no forces, but please let stop arguing blindly and face the
fact. I am writing this based on my research and longtime observation.
A
congregation of over a thousand now proud of having just a hundred members.
Something definitely is wrong! My pain is the way people argue and give
excuses, especially church folks for their flaws and insensitivity. Here are
some of the things I observed.
The church is no longer community based:
These days what I see are people locked up in their own shell without even
acknowledging that there are people living around them.
They are just in a
world of their own, it’s like ‘We are here, we can see you but stay on your
own’ kind of life. No attempt or desire from church members to reach the new
residents. Go to some of these ‘dying’ churches, same faces you saw in the 60s
are the same faces you see today and they only attend because of ‘Brand
loyalty’. When you get used to something, it is not easy to leave it.
The world is becoming crazier every day
with a lot of pressure, tension and stress everywhere. People need to have
their spiritual, emotional and physical needs met.
This is when the church
needs to step in. More and more children are growing up in broken homes,
unemployment is on the rise and Christians are sinking deeper into debt like
never before. Churchgoers are struggling to make ends meet in their everyday
lives, and we feel the pinch of reality just like everyone else. Whether you
are a Believer or non-believer, you are not exempted from the trials of the
world. For this reason I will say, drastic times call for drastic measures.
Irrespective of church size, each church
can provide effective small group ministries and outreach services. This
momentum can then spread out beyond the walls of the church and be incorporated
into the community where the church serves. To the best of its ability, the
church can provide services, counseling and advice to those in need.
No community focused
ministries: There are no creative reach out
programmes or events. It is not just organizing programmes, but programmes
based on community needs and creatively put together. This is a digital
generation; people are more exposed than we think. In the last few years, how
many of these churches had gone round the community they are based to ask
questions.
You hear about cult clashes in certain communities and I ask myself,
‘are there no churches around these places?’ It reminds me of late Bishop
Benson Idahosa, how one man singlehandedly stood against forces. Part of what
he did is what some churches enjoy today.
Creativity is dead: So painful that when people mention the church or a
Christian, ‘creativity’ probably is not the first word that comes to mind. This
sad truth is not the result of a lack of creative Christians, but rather,
Christians who do not know what to do with their creativity. At times, when you
suggest ideas they tag it as a sign of the end time.
Many churches struggle to balance art and
faith. They believe that if what you are doing is not littered with obvious
spirituality, it cannot glorify God. I have been to some churches, and there is
no difference between what I saw when I was a kid than and I am seeing now.
Smelling environment, broken pews, leaking toilet sink, cobwebs everywhere,
rats and cats struggling with members of the church and you keep praying
against witches??? Haba!!!
Prayer scarcity: During the fuel scarcity, people went through hell. A whole
nation was shut down for weeks. Same way it is when a church refuse to pray.
Prayers should not always be limited to members, their friends and families,
prosperity and their physical needs. Corporate prayer meetings bring
togetherness and not just a ten-minute prayer during the Sunday worship service.
The church that prays together, win together.
No clear purpose: Some churches do not even know why they exist; they
majorly exist for evangelistic purposes. When a church loses its passion to
reach the lost, the congregation begins to die. No vision, no mission and no
purpose.
Killer tongues: I call some members of the church ‘Forces’. The only job they
know how to do best is gossip. They go about talking about one sister and
brother playing together, husband and wife fighting, fowl and cat quarreling. At
times, church folks need to mind their business. This is when the church leader
needs to be sensitive enough to know how his flocks are faring. Talk with them.
Feel what they feel!
Dead facilities: Imagine getting to a church where all their facilities are
deteriorated. No sign post outside to show the church exists, even if there is
one it has changed colour. The gates are broken down. The security person look
unkempt, flood everywhere during rainy season, and there is cattle rearing at
the entrance of the church. Mostly, it is not a financial issue. Instead, the
church fails to see the continuous deterioration of the church building as a
major thing that can influence people.
All these can be discouraging. We must learn as many as churches in Nigeria are dying very fast. Their time is short, perhaps less than a decade if careful attention is not taken.
At present, Shoprite is one of the leading retail
stores in Nigeria or Africa at large and it keeps opening stores across the
country.
At these stores, you can purchase anything;
I mean anything from cooking oil to car oil and from pet food to fresh produce.
The convenience of having everything located under one roof is a multi-billion
dollar secret. This is the true meaning of a convenience store. The customers
are truly in love with this concept of everything under one roof. I think the
church must be that type of store.
Why do you think the people kept coming
back to Jesus? Jesus showed by His deeds the church’s purpose and function. He
gave us the blueprint for successfully meeting the needs of the hearers. Before
Jesus gave His sermon, He fed the “church comers.” They came to hear the
Messiah, and after feeding them with physical food, He then gave them spiritual
food for the soul. Both their physical and spiritual needs were met. This is
the classical Jesus!
Godwin Okhawere,
Culled from Ynaija
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